Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Vogue instructions

I’m trying a new pattern, Vogue 1054. It’s a blouse pattern by Chado Ralph Rucci. I’m taking quite a few shortcuts in construction. My version is far less elaborate than the pattern instructions, that call for a lot of hand topstitching, finishing of all seams with bias band (hong kong finish) and a variation of bound buttonholes (behind a hidden placket!).

I can barely get my attention to sewing, and my handstitches are no good. Not enough practise, I admit.. Therefor I opted for serging the seams and topstitching by machine and machine buttonholes. My fabric is not a crepe either, but linen/rayon. I hope my version will be a comfortable spring/summer blouse (whenever spring will arrive, even my helleborus doesn’t have flowers yet, normally that’s early January).

I’m making good progress, and only the sleeves still have to be done. But I was surprised at the drafting of the button plackets and facing. There are seams at the edges, where they are not necessary in my opinion, and only make for more bulk. I cut the fabric with my mind elsewhere, so I only found out during construction. I fiddled for an hour with the pieces for the hidden placket before I knew how construction was meant. When I then realised I could have cut it different/better, it was too late, no fabric left to cut new pieces. The horizontal lines in the front make it difficult to cut it all in one piece for the right side, but I think it would have been better to have a fold there, and no seam.

In answer to a few comments on my previous post about the notched collar: this really was a sample, there will be no finished jacket from this fabric. Though it looks nice in the pictures, it’s quite an itchy linen that I bought for making muslins. The pattern was no. 112 from January 2007.

Great shirt, you'll be ready for Spring if it ever arrives :-).People bitch about Burda instructions because they're so pithy. In my experience, Vogue instructions are wordier but they're far from accurate. Basically, unless you're using a Sandra Betzina pattern (which is drafted to her sloper, and with her instructions) you're getting weird stuff, and it's best to plan ahead and make sure you're using your favorite method for individual components.I've got to say the bound buttonholes under a placket must get a prize for useless complication :-).

I love this pattern, have it, and keep pushing it to the bottom of the stash-to-do pile. It looked too complicated for my sewing skills. Perhaps I will push it up the line with your reasonable-sounding shortcuts. I look forward to more on your progress!